Timing device



flim- 10, 193.9- T. A. KILLMAN ET A. '2,143,074

TIMING DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1952 l2 Sheets-Sheet l he rs Jan. 10, 1939.T. A. KILLMAN Er AL TIMING DEVICE Filed Sept. 9, 1952 2 Sheetsheet 2 www' Figli Patented Jan. 10, '1939 UNITED STATES PATENT 4OFFICE TIMINGDEVICE Application September 9, 1932,l Serial'No. 632,330

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a timing device operated rby an electriccurrent.

'Ihe -invention is of such a nature that it may be used for manydiiierent commercial purposes and, in the embodiments specicallyillustrated in the drawings and described in this specication, itisoperated to intermittently close and open a switch for an electriccircuit, whereby a lamp may be alternately flashed and extinguished. Inan embodimentillustrated in our co-pending application Serial No.632,331, filed of even date herewith, it may be used for operating aclock or other mechanism where constant rotation is required, but whereonly a small torque is necessary.

One of the objectsof this invention is to provide a device operable byan electric circuit which will produce accurately uniform oscillations.

Another object of the invention is to provide 20 an automatic switch foran electric circuit which will alternately and successively, withregularity, make and break the circuit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a two-way electric switchwhich may be operated by an oscillating member to connect an electriccircuit alternately in two arrangements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device having anoscillating member receiving impulses successively from twoelectro-magnets, and an automatic switch for the circuit supplying theelectro-magnets, with means for bringing the oscillating member to restupon cessation of current in a position in which one of theelectromagnets is connected in circuit by said automatic switch.

Other and specific objects will appear from the following detaildescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section taken at an angle of 90from the position of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a Vertical section on line 5 5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 6 6, Fig. 3.

Fig. '1 is a detail sectional view on line 1 1, Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on line 8 8, Fig. 7, with projectionsshowing the position of parts at different moments of operation.

Fig. 9 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts shown indifferent operative relationships.

Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram.

The device includes generally f an` oscillating v balancer which,l inthe rembodiment' specifically illustrated, is adapted by itsoscillations to make and break an electric circuit and is useful in thisembodiment to intermittently and in accurately timed relationship causean electric lamp to flash. The balance includes magnetic material, thatis iron or steel, by reason of which it may act as an armature. Thebalance is provided with a spring whereby it may be caused to oscillate,and a pair of electro-magnets are provided to give impulses to thebalance. A switch is provided to be operated by the oscillation of thebalance, whereby the electro-magnets are selectively and alternatelyconnected in an electric circuit. The electro-magnets are positioned andconnected in such a manner that the attractions Vof the electro-magnetsfor the balance are always in the direction in which the balance hasbeen moving.

Having described the invention generally, a detail description. of apreferred. construction of the invention and its embodiment in a devicefor some uses now follows.

A housing includes a cylindrical wall I, a bottom. wall 2 and a coverplate 3. A frame com-- prising uprights 4, a top strap 5 and a bottommember 6 is securedto the bottom wall 2 of the housing with anelectrically non-conductive plate 1 interposed therebetween. Theinsulating plate 1 is secured to the wall 2 by screws 3 and the bottommember 6 is secured to the plate 1 by screws 9.

A balance staff I0 is journalled at its lower end in the frame member 6and at its top end in the frame member 5. A balance I I is fastened tothe stair. A spring I2 is arranged to reverse the direction ofoscillation of the balance Ii after an impulse has been given to it. Thespring I2 is fastened at its upper end at I3 to a collar I4, secured tothe staff I0, and the spring is secured at its lower end, as shown atI5, to an adjustable member I6 which in turn is secured to the framemember 6 byscrews l1 passing through slots I8 in the member I6. Thebalance I! carries or includes magnetic material, that is iron or steel.In the particular form illustrated, an iron weight I9 is secured toveachend of the balance II by a screw 20. Thus the balance may also act as anarmature when placed in the ileld of an electromagnet. vTwoelectro-magnets 2| and 22 are provided, positioned in the pathsrespectively of the weights I9, and adapted, as Will hereafter bedescribed, to alternately attract the balance and give it an impulsealways in the direction in which the balance is oscillating. Thus,referring to Fig- 1, when `the. balancev I I is moving in a clockwisedirection the electro-magnet 22 is energized and when the balance ismoving irawcounter-clockwise direction the magnet 2l is energized. Meansfor connecting the magnets 2| and 22 selectively in circuit willpresently be described.

A battery 23 has one pole connected to the ground as shown at 2li, Fig.10, and has its other pole connected by a lead 25 to a binding post 26,connected to but insulated from the 'cylindrical wall I, an insulatingwasher 2l being positioned between the post 26 and the wall I. Thebinding post 2S and, therefore, one pole of the battery 23 iselectrically connected to the balance II by a wire 28 connected betweenthe post 2S and the frame, the lead being attached as shown in thedrawings to one of the uprights l. One side of each of the windings ofthe electro-magnets 2| and 22 is connected to a ground by a lead 29. Thelead 29 is attached to a binding post 3@ secured to the cylindricalmember l which has a lead 3l to a ground. The binding post 35 need notbe insulated from the Wall I. It will thus be seen that theelectro-magnets 2i and 22 may be selectively energized by selectivelyconnecting the balance i I to leads for the magnets.

This selective connection of the magnets ZI and 22 is accomplished by anew and ingenious switch mechanism which will now be described.

An overhanging arm 32 is secured to the plate 'I by a clamp 33. Thisoverhanging arm includes two superimposed conductive strips 3d and 35insulated from each other by an insulating strip 36. The lower strip 35iis connected by a lead 3l to the winding of the electro-magnet 2l andthe upper strip 35 is connected by a lead 3S to the winding of theelectro-magnet 22.

The overhanging arm or bracket 32 is of the form best shown in Fig. 7and includes an upper end portion 33, Fig. 7, which extends ina lineparallel to the plate l, that is, in a horizontal line but in a planetilted slightly from the horizontal, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. Thepurpose of this tilting is, as shown Fig. 8, to permit a movable Contactit which is secured to and oscillates with the balance I I to brush theupper strip 35 on its clockwise movement and the bottom strip 3e on itscounter-clockwise movement.

The Contact supported at the outer end of a resilient arm, comprising apair of resilient strips ill supported at their inner ends by a bracketi2 on the balance Ii. The arm supporting the contact d@ is bifurcated,as explained, in order to provide resiliency and at the same time todaznpen the vibration. The strips di are secured together at their innerends and may or may not be secured at their outer ends. When separatedthe lower strip @I acts as a support for the contact lil and the upperstrip il acts merely as a dampener.

The spring adjusting member El? is set in such a manner that the springI2 Will have a tendency to cause the balance to come to rest in aposition, as shown in Fig. l, in which the contact GG is in engagementwith the arm 32, either on the lower strip 3Q or on the upper strip 3E,according to chance. Now with the balance Il at rest and with thecontact di? engaging the strip 35, if, for instance, as shown in Fig. I,the circuit is completed as illustrated and the lead 25 is connected toone pole of the battery, ground connections being made as heretoforeexplained, the electromagnet 22 will be energized and the balance willbe moved in a clockwise direction. This move ment will be very slightuntil contact is broken between the point 4D and the strip 35, but theurge will be suicient to move the balance II to the position shown infull lines, Fig. 9. When the balance has assumed this position thetension of the spring will have caused it to come to rest and willreturn the balance in the opposite or a counter-clockwise direction.Upon this return in a counter-clockwise direction, the balance II Willcome again to the position shown in Fig. I, but With the contact il@below the extension 39, at which time the winding of the electro-magnet2i will be placed in circuit and its flux Will have a tendency to urgethe balance in the direction in which it is moving, but this contactwill be maintained only momentarily. The balance II will then move onlyto a position shown in broken lines, Fig. 9. Thereupon the spring l2will again return the balance in a clockwise direction and 'contact willbe made between the point lill and the strip 35. The cycle of operationwill be continuously repeated as long as the device is properly`connected to a source of current supply. The apparatus described hasmany useful purposes, one of which we have illustrated, described andclaimed in my application, Serial N o. 632,331, filed of even dateherewith. Another useful purpose is illustrated in the embodiment ofthis application in which the oscillation of the balance Il is caused tomake and break an electric circuit which may be used, for instance, toflash an electric lamp. Additional mechanism which we have illustratedand winch is useful for the purpose of making and breaking an electriccircuit will now be described.

A non-conductive disc @i3 is secured to the balance I I and a conductiveplate et is placed on top thereof and electrically connected to thestaff lll. A brush 55, adapted to make contact with the plate llt, issupported by a bracket itt, secured to the frame member 5 by a screwlll, but the brush i5 is insulated from the frame by a washer L38. Thebrush l5 is connected by a lead i9 to a binding post 5B on thecylindrical member I,and the binding post is insulated from thecylindrical member by an insulating washer 5I.v A lead 52, secured tothe binding post 5I, may be connected to a lamp 53, theother side of thelamp being connected to a ground by a lead 56.

As best shown in Figs. l and 9, the brush will make contact with theplate B4 whenever the balance I I is oscillated to the extent asintended and shown in Fig. 9. In the particular embodiment illustrated,this contact is made twice during each cycle of oscillation, that is,contact will be made between the brush "i5 and the conductive plate i4when the balance i I is at or near each end of its path. It will beobvious that the deviceV may be constructed to make contact either onceor twice during each cycle, as` this is determined by the arc in whichthe balance oscillates and the proportioning of the sector plate @4.

As previously explained, the spring I2 is so adjusted by the member I6that the balance II, in the absence of current, assumes a position asshown in Fig. l, and in this position contact between the brush l5 andthe plate it is broken and the lamp circuit is, therefore, open,

It will `be obvious from the known laws of physics that frequency ofvibration will depend may be altered by changing any of these factors.

Parts of the invention may be used without the whole and various changesmay be made in the details of construction, and in the mode of applyingthe invention to useful purposes, within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a timing device including an oscillating member adapted tooscillate in uniform timed succession, and a pair of electro-magnetspositioned and adapted to intermittently and alternately attract andthereby propel said member, the combination including a xed arm having acontact on each side thereof insulated from each other and connectedrespectively to said electro-magnets, a resilient member extending fromand xed to said oscillating member and carrying an electrical contact atits outer end, said arm being arranged in the path of the outer end ofsaid resilient member and being inclined with respect to the plane ofoscillation thereof whereby the outer end of said resilient member makeselectrical contact on one side of the arm when the oscillation is in onedirection and on the opposite side when the oscillation is in theopposite direction.

2. In a device of the kind described having a spring balance, thecombination including an armature mounted on and oscillated by thebalance, a pair of spaced electromagnets each having a core with its endadjacent the path of oscillation of the armature, and a switchcornprising a resilient member extending from and iixed to the balanceand carrying a contact at its outer end and a fixed arm having contactson both sides respectively thereof, insulated from each other andconnected respectively to the electromagnets, said arm being positionedmidway in the path of the contact on said member and being inclined withrespect to the plane of oscillation whereby the contact on said memberwill wipe the contact on one side of the arm when the oscillation is inone direction and on the opposite side when the oscillation is in theopposite direction, and in the absence of power will come to rest inengagement with one or the other of said contacts.

3. A device of the kind described, including a frame, an oscillatormounted thereon for movement in two directions from a given point, aspring, means connecting said spring to said frame and said oscillatorto urge the latter to the given point, said connecting means including adisc-like element to which said spring is connected, said element beingslotted, and means engaging said frame to said element through saidslotted portion thereof whereby said element may be adjusted relative tosaid frame and secured in adjusted position.

4. A device of the kind described, including an oscillator, twoelectrically energized devices for producing the force to operate saidoscillator, a circuit for each of said devices, means for connectingsaid circuits to said devices including a switch, said switch having acontactor on said oscillator to swing therewith and a member with whichsaid contactor cooperates, said member and said contactor being slopedrelative to the plane of oscillation, and one of them comprising a unithaving two conducting faces on opposite sides thereof and insulationtherebetween, one face being connected to each circuit whereby as saidcontactor swings in one direction it will connect with one of saidconducting elements.

and as it swings in the other direction, it will connect with the other.

5. In a device of the kind described, a pair of spaced electromagnets,an armature having a pivot and two arms extending therefrom, each armhaving a permeable portion thereon, said magnets being spaced from saidpivot, and with the pivot including a different angle from that includedbetween the two arms, whereby when one of said arms is centrally overits magnet the other will be displaced from the other magnet, meansurging said armature to a normal position wherein the arms are equallyspaced from the magnets and within the extent of their fields,electrical circuits for said magnets, switch means in said circuits, andactuated by said armature to energize one magnet in one direction ofoscillation of the armature and the other magnet in the other directionof such oscillation, said switcn being operable to energize one of saidmagnets when the armature is in normal position.

6. In a device of the kind described, a pair of spaced electromagnets,an oscillatory armature having a pivot and two arms extending therefrom,each arm having a permeable portion thereon, said magnets being spacedfrom said pivot and with the same including an angle different from theangle included between the two arms, means urging said armature to anormal position wherein said arms are equally spaced from and within theextent of the elds of the respective magnets, a circuit for said magnetsincluding a two way switch, said switch being closed one way as one armmoves toward its magnet to energize said magnet and accelerate theoscillation in that direction, and being closed the other way as theother arm moves toward its magnet to energize said magnet and acceleratethe oscillation in the other direction.

7. In a device of the kind described, a member movable in two directionsin a xed path, two circuits, a means energized by each circuit, a.switch in said circuits, said switch including a member having its facesformed as contact surfaces insulated from each other sloped relative tothe plane of movement of the movable member at a predetermined point,one for each circuit, and a member cooperable with one or the other ofsaid surfaces, one of said switch members being mounted on the movablemember and one being fixed relative thereto, whereby as said movablemember moves in one direction the cooperating member closes with one ofsaid sloping surfaces, and when it moves in the other direction, itcloses with the other surface.

8. In a mechanism of the kind described having a spring balance, thecombination including armature means adapted to be oscillated in a fixedplane and by the spring balance, a pair of spaced electromagnets eachhaving its core normal to said plane and adjacent the path of thearmature means in its oscillation and said electromagnets being adaptedselectively to iniluence said armature means, a. circuit for each of theelectromagnets having a switch for each of the circuits, said switchesbeing operable by the balance separately to complete the respectivecircuits of the electromagnets to a source oi' power, each during arelatively small portion of an oscillation and when the armature meansis moving toward the electromagnet the circuit of which is thuscompleted, and at substantially the middle portion of such oscillation.

THOMAS A. KILLMAN. ROBERT THOMAS KILLMAN.

